The Executive Boards of Codarts Rotterdam and the University of the Arts The Hague (HdK) have expressed their intention to continue as a single organization. The intention follows on from an earlier collaboration agreement signed on 23 December 2011.

Codarts Rotterdam and University of the Arts The Hague to merge

Quality improvement in professional arts education

Rotterdam/The Hague, 20 June 2012 – The Executive Boards of Codarts Rotterdam and the University of the Arts The Hague (HdK) have expressed their intention to continue as a single organization. The intention follows on from an earlier collaboration agreement signed on 23 December 2011.

The merger of the universities will meet the need to improve the quality of the education and come to a more distinct profile and stricter selection – as also stated in the reports of the Veerman and Dijkgraaf commissions and in the Professional Arts Education Sector Plan. The intention also supports the realization that given the big changes in the professional occupational practice, the young musician/dancer/visual artist, in addition to their undiminished creative and technical excellence, will more and more need to possess a large measure of independence, entrepreneurship and communicative skills. A jointly designed educational environment of Codarts Rotterdam and the HdK will be able to contribute optimally in this respect.

The intention is for the merger to take effect as of 1 January 2013, after acceptance by the Staff Student Councils and approval by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science. The names of Codarts Rotterdam, the Royal Conservatoire (KC) and the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) will be maintained. It has been established according to our current understanding that up to 2015, there will be no compulsory dismissals as a consequence of the merger.

About Codarts Rotterdam

Codarts is a small-scale international university established in Rotterdam, providing high quality professional arts education in the fields of music, dance and circus. The university has approximately 1,000 students, with 50 nationalities, and around 340 staff members.

About the University of the Arts The Hague

The HdK is the umbrella organization of the Royal Academy of Art and the Royal Conservatoire. The Royal Conservatoire (KC) forms the faculty of Music and Dance, the KABK that of Art and Design. The KABK and KC faculties together provide the interfaculties of ArtScience and the School for Young Talent. The HdK is strongly internationally oriented and has approximately 1,750 students and around 600 staff members.

The merger of the universities will meet the need to improve the quality of the education and come to a more distinct profile and stricter selection – as also stated in the reports of the Veerman and Dijkgraaf commissions and in the Professional Arts Education Sector Plan.

The intention also supports the realization that given the big changes in the professional occupational practice, the young musician/dancer/visual artist, in addition to their undiminished creative and technical excellence, will more and more need to possess a large measure of independence, entrepreneurship and communicative skills. A jointly designed educational environment of Codarts Rotterdam and the HdK will be able to contribute optimally in this respect.

The intention is for the merger to take effect as of 1 January 2013, after acceptance by the Staff Student Councils and approval by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science. The names of Codarts Rotterdam, the Royal Conservatoire (KC) and the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) will be maintained. It has been established according to our current understanding that up to 2015, there will be no compulsory dismissals as a consequence of the merger.

About Codarts RotterdamCodarts is a small-scale international university established in Rotterdam, providing high quality professional arts education in the fields of music, dance and circus. The university has approximately 1,000 students, with 50 nationalities, and around 340 staff members.

About the University of the Arts The HagueThe HdK is the umbrella organization of the Royal Academy of Art and the Royal Conservatoire. The Royal Conservatoire (KC) forms the faculty of Music and Dance, the KABK that of Art and Design. The KABK and KC faculties together provide the interfaculties of ArtScience and the School for Young Talent. The HdK is strongly internationally oriented and has approximately 1,750 students and around 600 staff members.